Impression Formation in Children: Influence of Gender and Expectancy

Abstract

The effect of expectancy-congruent and -incongruent information on subsequent impression formation and recall of a target peer was examined. 64 boys and 50 girls (ages 8 to 12) were given an expectancy that a stimulus child was either shy or outgoing. Subjects rated the target on several dimensions (e.g., friendly, shy) and then watched a videotape of a boy or girl confederate acting out a script containing both expectancy-congruent and -incongruent information. Subjects then rated the target child again and freely recalled as much of what the target said as they could remember. Results revealed that when children are presented with both expectancy-congruent and -incongruent information, impression formation appears largely attribute based, and the influence of the initial expectancy appears mitigated. However, ratings of liking appeared to be more influenced by the initial expectancy than by subsequent behavioral information. In addition, the results indicated that many of Maccoby's conclusions regarding the effects of gender on social interactions also apply to children's social information processing, indicating a strong bias toward same-sex peers.

Children’s Interpretation of Ambiguous Behavior: Evidence for a ‘Boys are Bad’ Bias

“…Boys expected to like boys more than they would like girls (.61 versus .49 on a scale from 0 to 1; F[1, 24] = 8.49, MSe = .04, p < .01), and girls expected to like boys less than they would like girls (.47 versus .63; F[1, 38] = 11.72, MSe = .09, p < .005). This expectation of liking samesex peers more is consistent with other findings (Berndt & Heller, 1986;Martin, 1989;McAninch, Manolis, Milach, & Harris, 1993).…”

“…They were also tested on their memory for the behavior, and asked to select among possible attributions for it. Consistent with previous research, participants held greater expectations of liking same-sex peers than opposite-sex peers (Berndt & Heller, 1986;Martin, 1989;McAninch, Manolis, Milach, & Harris, 1993). However, children's evaluative inferences about the behavior revealed a different pattern: both male and female participants interpreted the actions of boys more negatively.…”

“…This possibility seems plausible in light of evidence that children hold positive attributional biases toward well-liked peers as compared to disliked peers (e.g. see Hymel, 1986), and are more likely to expect that they will like same-sex peers (Berndt & Heller, 1986;Martin, 1989;McAninch, Manolis, Milach, & Harris, 1993). There is also evidence for a tendency to assign more positive and fewer negative traits to individuals of the same gender (Etaugh, Levine, & Mennella, 1984;Powlishta, 1995).…”

I Like Me If You Like Me: On the Interpersonal Modulation and Regulation of Preadolescents’ State Self‐Esteem

“…Such a position may be oversimplified, however. From a young age, children attach differential importance to the appraisals that others hold of them, typically based on salient characteristics of others that cue group membership (Crick & Dodge, 1994; McAninch, Manolis, Milich, & Harris, 1993; Mrug & Hoza, 2007). In elementary school, one important characteristic that children use to judge each other is perceived popularity (LaFontana & Cillessen, 2002).…”

Children's Expectancies and Perceptions of Adults: Effects on Rapport

“…Additionally, there is evidence that the effect of children's expectancies may depend on the information encountered and the dimensions being rated. McAninch, Manolis, Milich, and Harris (1993) gave 8-to 12-year-old children an expectancy that the child they were to see on videotape was either shy or outgoing. Children rated how much they liked the target child as well as how friendly and how shy they thought the target child was.…”